How to upgrade a bath?

Has your old bath lost its whiteness and shine? You are increasingly looking at her with displeasure, thinking to throw the "old woman" in a landfill and buy a new, dazzlingly sparkling snow-white beauty? Do not hurry! You will always have time to part with your old bathroom. Is not it easier to first try to update it. Of course, it is impossible to completely return the bath to its former splendor, but it is quite within your power to try to give it a decent appearance. Take advantage of our tips on how to upgrade your bath, and all you have to get. The whole process of bath restoration consists of the following steps.

Surface cleaning

First of all, the bath must be thoroughly degreased using any of the household household chemical powder used to clean cooktops or toilet bowls (Pemolux, Komet, etc.). Well rub the inner surface of the bath with a stiff brush, thoroughly wash off detergent. Now remove rust stains. To do this, we apply oxalic acid, previously diluted to a slurry state, on old enamel.We wait half an hour and wash it off with hot water. Next, we carefully go over the entire inner surface of waterproof sandpaper. This will help us to finally clean all stains, even off chips and irregularities, to make the bath surface rough, which will ensure the best adhesion of the new enamel to the old layer. To speed up the grinding process, you can pour a little abrasive kitchen cleaning powder into the bath and add a drop of water. At the end of the stripping, several times very carefully wash the bath and leave it until it is completely dry. As a result of the first stage of work, we should have a completely dry, clean bath with a matte surface.

Primer

The primer is the application of the first pre-coat of paint. Before you upgrade your old bath, you need to decide which primer and enamel you will use - spray or in cans. It is easier and faster to apply the aerosol, but to achieve a smooth and uniform thickness of the surface, spraying the enamel from the balloon will be much more difficult than when working with a brush. Therefore, experts recommend to opt for two-component epoxy enamels in cans.Stock up on the required amount of enamel (the flow rate is indicated on the can) and a high-quality flat brush made from natural bristles. Prepare the enamel in accordance with the instructions attached to it. Brush gently apply the first layer from the edges to the center of the bath. Make sure that there are no smudges and bubbles, if necessary, re-run the brush on the problem areas. Let the first layer dry for about half an hour, unless indicated otherwise in the instructions for your enamel. This is where our story about how to upgrade a cast-iron bath proceeds to the third and final stage.

Enameling

Apply a second, final layer of enamel. Several times we carefully check if there are any smudges. We remove them, smoothly brushing from the bottom up. After a quarter of an hour, we repeat the surface inspection. If the result we are fully satisfied, leave the bath to dry for two to three days. During this time, the new coating should have time to mate well with the base. Now the bath can be polished with a piece of cloth or flannel to give it a final shine. The bath is fully prepared and you can safely use it! Such a self-renovated bath will honestly serve you for a few more years.